THE Police Regional Office (PRO) in Davao Region reminded its personnel to remain non-partisan in the upcoming 2022 elections, and warned its personnel who will provide protective security to political candidates.

PRO-Davao Director Brigadier General Benjamin Silo Jr. said during the send-off ceremony of Protective Security Personnel at the Camp Sgt. Quintin M. Merecido in Buhangin, Davao City on Friday, April 22, that all police should refrain from being used by politicians as personal guards in the upcoming elections.

"We do not allow candidates to campaign with the cops," Silo said.

The high-ranking police official said they had already started implementing its security strategies to ensure an "honest and peaceful" election.

This includes the relieving of their personnel who have relatives running for different positions in the upcoming elections.

"We would like to inform the public that the performance of our duty, for us to be effective, we should be fair, credible, and impartial," he said.

PRO-Davao recently declared 16 election hotspots in the region for its intense political rivalry in the past elections. These are the municipalities of Sta. Cruz, Matanao, Magsaysay, Malalag, Hagonoy, Padada, New Corella, and Monkayo while the municipalities of Kiblawan, Lupon, Mabini, Maco, Maragusan, Montevista, New Bataan, and Pantukan are the orange category areas.

Silo said the region has, as of now, zero cases of election-related violence since the start of the election period in January this year, based on the parameters set by the Philippine National Police.

But he said they are still investigating two separate shooting incidents that occurred during the period of the local elections. One is the killing of former barangay kagawad candidate Danilo Lumikid Jr. on April 1 in Manay, Davao Oriental. Another is the killing of Barangay Matiao Captain Ronnie Valera in Mati City, still in Davao Oriental on April 13, 2022.

Authorities have not yet declared that the two incidents are election-related. Silo said a task group has been formed to determine the suspect behind the incident before the end of the month.

Silo also said the region has not recorded cases of private groups.